ICC Belfast announce partnership with Warwick Event Services

As the period of forced closure extends into a seventh month, business preparedness remains the focus at ICC Belfast.

The team, who are used to hosting upwards of 100 national and international conference and convention style events annually, have announced a new partnership with Warwick Event Services. The company will deliver exhibition requirements on behalf of the convention centre and its clients, whose business events attract thousands of visitors to Northern Ireland each year.

Business events yield significant benefits, not only for the delegates who attend to hear from globally acclaimed keynote speakers and network with industry peers, but for the host cities too. Delegates from outside Northern Ireland attending events in ICC Belfast contribute around £488 per day to the local economy. This benefits the local hotels, hospitality businesses and can be a catalyst for investment in key growth sectors. A commitment to collaboration with clients will be key to rebuilding this industry. Team Belfast are well versed in partnership working and strive to ensure that from the moment an event is confirmed for the city, until the last delegate leaves, their expectations are exceeded.

David Warwick, Managing Director of WCE said: “ICC Belfast is an amazing venue for live events, and we’ve a long history working in the city and with the venue team.

“It’s a real pleasure to be named a turnkey supplier to ICC Belfast, and again builds on our many long-term partnerships with customers and venues alike. We couldn’t be more excited to get this partnership underway and support the team to deliver an array of world class events and exhibitions.”

Although there has been no provisional date set for when large-scale conferences and events may return, it’s envisaged that when they do there will be a high level of pent up demand.

Industry research suggests this will have the greatest impact on National and International Associations whose events are held on a rotational basis between various destinations. Decisions about the location and venue can be made up to ten years in advance, so a long-term outlook is imperative to Northern Ireland’s competitiveness.

Charlie McCloskey, Head of Events and Customer Experience, ICC Belfast/Waterfront Hall/Ulster Hall, welcomed the announcement: “This partnership between ICC Belfast and Warwick Event Services is great news, particularly during what has been a devastating period for the events industry globally.

“The steps we take now to create a sustainable business that suits the rapidly evolving needs of clients will assist us in generating a healthy calendar of future events.

“This is crucial to Northern Ireland’s economic recovery, which we’re committed to playing our part in. Appointing a specialist provider for exhibition services will help us to secure landmark business events for our city. The feedback we get from delegates is overwhelmingly positive and if they enjoy our city as a conference destination, they’re more likely to come back with friends or families. All of this contributes to our vibrant tourism sector, which needs more support now than ever before.”

Additional business preparedness projects underway at ICC Belfast include the development of a purpose-build Hybrid Studio. Designed as an interim solution for clients that are not able to host live events, there are plans to roll this solution out across the venue. This provides the potential for greater reach and opens up new digital sponsorship streams. Further details on the ICC Belfast Hybrid Studio can be found at www.iccbelfast.com/hybrid.

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